Asus Announces First 144Hz IPS WQHD AMD FreeSync Monitor

Asus has announced its very first FreeSync monitor and the only one to feature an IPS panel with a resolution of 2560×1440 “WQHD” at 144Hz. The monitor in question is the MG279Q, a 27″ display targeted towards gamers. It features an AH-VA type IPS based panel which is why its capable of such a high refresh rate that would otherwise be impossible with other subtypes of In-Plane-Switching display panels.

We had talked about this monitor before, when Asus showcased it back in January during CES 2015. Back then the monitor hadn’t been officially declared to support FreeSync and Asus was still optimizing response times and pushing for a higher refresh rate. Today we’re finally able to confirm that just as had been suspected back in January this monitor does indeed support AMD’s Adaptive-Sync based FreeSync technology. Asus has also delightedly managed to meet its target to push the panel refresh rate from the previous 120Hz to 144Hz.

Variable refresh rate technology represents an exciting new chapter for gaming monitors. It used to be that all what had actually defined a gaming monitor was its refresh rate, response time and auxiliary features. This is changing very quickly as variable refresh rate technologies such as Nvidia’s G-Sync and AMD’s FreeSync are becoming a cornerstone in defining what a gaming monitor should and shouldn’t be.
We’ve explored the advantages that a dynamic refresh rate brings to the gaming experience to a great length in our in-depth analysis of G-Sync and FreeSync. Which I’d highly recommend that you check out if you haven’t already.

So far we know of 12 different FreeSync capable monitors that have been announced, including Asus’s new entry to the market with the MG279Q. AMD had previously stated that conservatively, they’re estimating that a total of 20 different FreeSync monitors will be coming to market before the end of this year. And we’ll keep you updated as the remaining eight are released.